Mispucha
by Girl-of-Geekery
Summary: Ziva muses on her Family at NCIS. Set sometime after Good Cop, Bad Cop. Spoilers for episodes Truth Or Consequnces, Shalom, Kill Ari, and possible spoilers for Reunion and Good Cop, Bad Cop.


_**First of all, the title, Mispucha, is a Hebrew word. It means 'Family' which is exactly what this little ficlet is about. Ziva musing about her family at NCIS.**_

_**Secondly,for those reading Hurt, I have not abandoned the story, I am just having a case of writer's block right now, but I promise to finish it. This is just something that popped into my head and demanded to be written.**_

_**And finally, I own nothing. Everything belongs to CBS. **_

_**Now on with the story!**_

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_'To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.'_

I sighed as I rolled my head from side to side, trying to work out the cricks in my neck.

Due to lack of cases today, I had decided to make use of my time by studying for the first part of my citizenship test which was due within the next few weeks. I was determined to pass with flying.....what was the word? Numbers? No, that was not it. Oh, well.

Despite my desire to pass, however, I was rather bored of reading and re-reading every single line of every single document a dozen times over.

I glanced over towards Gibbs' desk as I heard the the dull _'thud' _of an empty coffee cup being tossed into the trash bin.

Glancing at my own, now cold cup, I decided a coffee run was in order. I could use a good 'caffeine boost' as Abby would call it, to keep my eyes open and I had no desire today to see how Gibbs would react without his steady flow of coffee after being practically chained to his desk all day, with nothing to do but filling out paperwork.

"I am going for coffee, does anyone else need a refill?" I asked, standing up quickly at the prospect of being able to stretch my legs.

"Yes, please." McGee spoke up from his desk, glancing up momentarily from his own stack of files and paperwork he was working meticulously on for the past five hours.

"Yeah, sounds good, I could use something to pry my eyelids open." Tony agreed from where he was lounging in chair, head tipped back and his eyes closed.

"If you're so tired, DiNozzo, I'm sure the personnel in the evidence garage could use some help bringing up those boxes of case-files from storage." Gibbs added, not even bothering to look up from the stack of forms he was currently signing his signature across.

Tony's eyes flew open immediately and shot up to a sitting position, tapping a few keys on his computer to appease his boss.

I smirked slightly, "I will be back." I said before leaving, not waiting for an answer from Gibbs, knowing that there was no need.

When did Leroy Jethro Gibbs ever refuse coffee?

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After purchasing the five coffees (two for Gibbs) a tea for Ducky and a Caf-Pow! Abby, both of whom I was sure could use with a refill as well, I headed back to the bull-pen. Already dreading the stack of documents, amendments, and files I had yet to study.

As I reached the correct floor, the first thing I took note of was the fact that Tony had already become bored with whatever it was he had been pretending to work on and was now in a good-natured argument with McGee, one that Gibbs was 'conveniently' not noticing.

I paused, watching. I had missed this. The fights, the teasing, the normalcy. Sometimes the memories of the times spent in the bullpen had been all that had kept me going while in Somalia. The thoughts of Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Abby, and Ducky.

It was nearly a month into my capture that I had noticed I had spent my time missing and wishing for my team at NCIS than I had my for my father or any of Mossad. And it was two weeks later that I came to the epiphany that NCIS was my family and home now. No longer my father and Israel.

They had become my family and been a much better one than the one I had ever known.

Gibbs, when I had first met him all that was on my mind was protecting Ari. Gibbs meant nothing to me. But then, for a reason that I still was not sure of, I had a formed a bond with the former Marine and sniper.

At first I hated to admit it to myself. I felt guilty. Eli was my father, not Gibbs. But I could not help thinking how Gibbs seemed more concerned with my well being and my happiness than my father ever had.

Gibbs was a man of few words, yet he spoke more caring and heartfelt words to me than my real father ever had. Gibbs was the one who had left Mexico to come and save me when my own father was too busy involved in the politics to even inform his own daughter of what was happening and ensure me everything would be all right as Gibbs had done.

It had stung when Abby had insinuated that I did not care that Gibbs had been injured when his life was threatened by the bomb years ago, that I did not care that he had nearly died. The truth was that I did care. More than I was ever used too and to be honest, it scared me.

Eli had never cared for me, or Ari and Tali for that matter. Yet Gibbs, who had no obligation to care about me, who was simply my employer, cared about me and looked after me like I was his own.

He was more a father to me than anyone else, even my own biological father, had ever been.  
And there were times, though I would never tell, that I would wish I had grown up with Gibbs as a father instead of Eli.

Tony, the very first time I saw him I had believed him to be egotistical and a womanizer which made me take an instant dislike to him. When I had informed him that I was there to protect Ari, the intense ire burning in his eyes had given testimony to the fact that there was more going on beneath the surface than met the eye.

I had wondered for the longest time why he seemed to act childish when he obviously was more in-depth than that.

After a while though, I was able to see the advantage. When I had seen him interrogate someone. The perp had fallen all too easily for his prat boy persona, but when Tony abruptly changed tactics, acting almost.....Gibbs-like, the man had been thrown off and had quickly admitted to everything.

I prided in the fact that I had cracked one of the many mysteries that was Tony DiNozzo.

And I also prided in the fact that now, after years of watching each others backs and trusting that we would always have each others six, he had grown to become a like a big brother to me. And, though I had never and would never admit it, I was proud to have a brother like Tony. He was allot unlike Ari though, I had been surprised to realize. While Ari did care about me, of that I was sure, he would not go to the lengths Tony would and had for me.

Ari would not have risked life and limb to come after my supposed killer as Tony and the rest of my NCIS family had.

Nor would he have tousled my hair or acted silly just to make me feel better when I had been having a rough day.

And though I would never tell him, and I even felt slight guilt because of Ari for it, I was happy to have him for a brother. Though I could do without the over-protectiveness.

McGee. I smiled a little as I spared the younger man a glance.

McGee, as was Tony, was like my brother. Though instead of being a 'big brother' as Tony was, he filled the role of 'little brother' in my new found family. Though that did not stop him from being protective of me as well, though he did manage to show more tact than Tony did in that prospect.

I had bonded with McGee quicker than the others, except Gibbs, when I had joined. He was instantly kind to me without even truly knowing me for which I was grateful. I had not many people like Timothy McGee.

He seemed unlimited when it came to his kindness. Most people I had worked with, specifically in Mossad, were distant and cold so it came as a surprise when I had met McGee and he showed me such consideration and kindness. At first, from instinct, my thoughts were that he must have wanted something or was trying to get on my good side so that I may be a valuable asset to him later. But it was not too long before I realized that McGee's intentions were the complete opposite of what I had assumed and I realized that McGee's mind did not work like that. He did not act on kindness to get something for himself, but instead he did it simply to be kind. I was shocked at first when I came to that revelation, but now that I understood McGee better, I was glad to call him family. He was not only my brother, but also my best friend.

Abby. I had to admit when I first met Abby I thought she was....odd. With the skull covered t-shirts, black lipstick and nails, and the various tattoos she sported from head to toe. Despite that though, I had tried to make nice with her though she seemed to want no part of my genuine attempts at friendship.

Finally, after a few months, she must have decided that being friends would not be so bad.

I never understood why she took such an instant dislike to me or why she changed her mind, but for whatever reasons, I was grateful.

Now, years later, she had become like my little sister just like she had to many of the team and I found myself, like the rest, doting upon Abby and being protective of her even though I knew she could take care of herself. I suppose it was just instinct. She was after-all the youngest of the group and therefore the baby of the family. Though she was by no means a child and she was perfectly capable of defending herself.

She reminded me Tali in that respect who was also the baby of the family and constantly watched over by Ari and myself. She never needed our over-zealous protection either and became rather irritated when we became, in her opinion at least, 'overprotective' of her.

As with Tony, I sometimes felt an awful pang of guilt at the fact of considering Abby in such a role because of Tali. But then I was reminded that she would not have minded. Tali had always been very compassionate and would have been happy I had found true family.

And Abby was certainly that.

Ducky had surprised me as-well. Not because he tended to ramble or that he talked to his patients. (Though I have never understood the purpose of talking to someone who was dead. )

No, what had surprised me was how nonjudgmental he was.

I was always taught that you could learn allot about a person simply by the way they act and by their past.

Ducky knew of my past as a Mossad killer (or 'ninja' as Tony would call it) and he had taken note of my outward attitude and....nothing. He never judged, he never assumed. He was polite and caring and never took me for face value. Something for which I would be continually grateful for.

Most people judged me by what they saw, never realizing there was allot more beneath the surface than I ever let them see.

That is why I think I filled Ducky as the role of grandfather.

I had never met any of my grandparents and when I pictured them, I admit, I never pictured them quite like Ducky. Though now I wish, if I had ever known them, they would have been exactly like him.

I smiled softly as I watched Abby and Ducky, both of whom it seemed had gotten bored as well and decided to search out a distraction in the bull-pen, join Tony, Gibbs, and McGee. Abby perching herself on the edge of McGee's desk and Ducky taking up a position next to Gibbs.

My smile widened as I watched the scene play out in front of me and my heart warmed at the sight of them.

I could not hide my grin as I entered the bull-pen, handing out the drinks to their respective owners before joining in on the argument Tony and McGee had not yet abandoned.

It was not long before Ducky and Abby were drawn in to the conversation and even Gibbs leaned back from his paperwork, sipping his coffee, to openly listen.

My grin widened again as McGee fired off a particularly good comeback to Tony, whom, instead of looking put out at being bested in their argument over some movie or another, had a slightly proud look in his eyes at his 'probie' beating them at their game.

Abby, Ducky, and even Gibbs, laughed at the antics of the two in front of them and again my heart warmed and I couldn not help think how I would not trade this for anything in the world.

I had found my mispacha. I now had a family.

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_**There you are everyone! Hope you enjoyed it! Now a review would be a lovely way for me to start of this new year don't ya' think? ;)**_

_**Hope you all had a great New Year! And that the year ahead of is full of family, friends, laughter, happiness, love, and blessing. God Bless! --- AbbyScuito**_


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